My memory of this is weak but I think the editor strongly disagreed with folk from outside telling locals what was in their backyard, that and 'fancy' theories. You might recall that after Jefferies there was a bit of a gap in local writing of this sort until the new wave came in with Massingham and Cox, , England and the Octopus etc. Then CPRE of course. All of which of course was the ground for the classic English Journey by Priestley

Fittingly on that note the newspaper library is right by Colindal tube station on the northern line, or there is a complete run of local newspapers in a local museum, I don't know if that is Devizes or Marlborough. Use the date of the book as a guide keeping in mind the editor may have had an advance copy.