Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group PLC
17 March 2003



Letter to RNS

Ashtead Group plc
Ordinary Shares of 10p

The Company has been advised today by Schroder Investment Management Limited
(SIML) that Schroder interests manage a total of 41,146,494 shares in the 
Company on a discretionary basis for clients under investment management 
agreements as follows:

1.     Managed by SIML
               Registered or to be registered in the name
               of Schroder Nominees Ltd                          4,620,350
                                                               

2.     Managed by SIML 
               Registered or to be registered in the names
               Other than Schroder Nominees Ltd                  4,044,200
                                                                 8,664,550

3.     Managed in unit trusts by Schroder Unit Trusts
       Ltd and registered in the name of Chase Nominees Ltd     32,481,944

                                                                41,146,494

The above interest in 41,146,494 shares in the Company represents an interests
of 12.635% in the issued share capital of 325,655,164 shares.  This new holding
is an increase of 1.658% in SIML's interest in the Company since the last report
on 14 February 2003.

Contact:  R E Clark
Tel:  [phone]


Letter from Ashtead Group PLC


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