There was certainly much in his suggestion that a man wasn't likely to buy an old book about a little insignificant town like Barthorpe unless he had some interest in it--Barthorpe, if Campany's theory were true, was probably the place of John Braden's origin.
Therefore, information about Braden, leading to knowledge of his association or connection with Ransford, might be found at Barthorpe.
True, the Barthorpe police had already reported that they could tell nothing about any Braden, but that, in Bryce's opinion, was neither here nor there--he had already come to the conclusion that Braden was an assumed name.

And if he went to Barthorpe, he was not going to trouble the police--he knew better methods than that of finding things out.

Was he going ?--was it worth his while?
A moment's reflection decided that matter--anything was worth his while which would help him to get a strong hold on Mark Ransford.

And always practical in his doings, he walked round to the Free Library, obtained a gazeteer, and looked up particulars of Barthorpe.

There he learnt that Barthorpe was an ancient market-town of two thousand inhabitants in the north of Leicestershire, famous for nothing except that it had been the scene of a battle at the time of the Wars of the Roses, and that its trade was mainly in agriculture and stocking-making--evidently a slow, sleepy old place.
That night Bryce packed a hand-bag with small necessaries for a few days' excursion, and next morning he took an early train to London; the end of that afternoon found him in a Midland northern-bound express, looking out on the undulating, green acres of Leicestershire.