Director Shareholding

Barclays PLC
23 March 2001



                                                                 23 March 2001



        Notification of directors' interests: Companies Act 1985 s.329


The independent trustee of the Barclays Group (ESAS) Employees' Benefit Trust
(the 'ESAS trust') notified the Company on 22 March 2001 that they had on 21
March 2001 purchased a total of 93 ordinary shares at a price of 1982p per
share.   None of the shares purchased was in respect of an award made to a
director of Barclays PLC.


The ESAS trust is a discretionary trust for the benefit of employees and
former employees (and their families) of Barclays Bank PLC and its
subsidiaries.


Following this transaction, the trustees of all the Barclays Group employees'
benefit trusts hold a total of 12,949,178 ordinary shares in Barclays PLC in
which the following directors of Barclays PLC had an interest as potential
beneficiaries:  Sir Peter Middleton, Mr M W Barrett, Sir Andrew Large, Mr C J
Lendrum, Mr J M Stewart and Mr J S Varley.