Holding in Company

British Land Co PLC
11 October 2001



The British Land Company PLC announces that it received notification on 9
October 2001, pursuant to sections 198-202 of the Companies Act 1985, that
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc's aggregate interest in the Company is 57,432,909
ordinary 25p shares, representing 11.08% of the issued share capital of the
Company. Details of this disclosure of interest by Merrill Lynch are as
follows:



ML Invest Holdings Limited, ML Invest, Inc being certain holding companies of
Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Limited ( 'MLIM' ) have interests, through
MLIM, in the share capital of the Company as follows:




Registered Holder                                      Number of Shares
Nutraco Nominees Limited                               32, 888, 665

(Designated & Undesignated)
Merrill Lynch Pensions Nominees Limited                1,008,478

A/C Noncert
Stamford Nominees Limited                              11, 000

(Designated & Undesignated)
Stamford Nominees Limited                              36,000

A/C CHARTY
Treasury of the Government of the Isle                 157,388

Of Man A/C 5
Treasury of the Government of the Isle                 69,000

Of Man A/C 10
Chase Nominees Limited                                 2,238,676
Nortrust Nominees Limited                              1,577,165
State Street Nominees Limited                          122,222
Mss Nominees Limited                                   304,209
RBSTB Nominees Limited                                 1,445,419
Junction Nominees Limited                              2,729,000
Other Names                                            13,937,674
Total:                                                 56,524,896



Merrill Lynch Group Inc and Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., which are holding
companies of MLIM and of certain other companies, have interests in aggregate
in the relevant share capital of the Company as follows:



Merrill Lynch Group, Inc                               56,721,445

Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc                               57,432,909





The British Land Company PLC also announces that it also received notification
on 10th October 2001, pursuant to sections 198-202 of the Companies Act 1985,
that  Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Limited's  aggregate interest in the
Company is 57,385,816 ordinary 25p shares, representing 11.07% of the issued
share capital of the Company.



This aggregate interest is made up as follows:


Registered Holder                                      Number of Shares
Nutraco Nominees Limited                               33,236,385

(Designated & Undesignated)
Merrill Lynch Pensions Nominees Limited                1,008,478

A/C Noncert
Stamford Nominees Limited                              11,000

(Designated and Undesignated)
Stamford Nominees Limited                              36,000

A/C CHARTY
Treasury of the Government of the Isle                 157,388

Of Man A/C 5
Treasury of the Government of the Isle                 69,000

Of Man A/C 10
Chase Nominees Limited                                 2,889,708
Nortrust Nominees Limited                              2,094,915
MSS Nominees Limited                                   267,382
RBSTB Nominees Limited                                 936,669
Junction Nominees Limited                              2,935,250
BONY Nominees Limited                                  631,350
29 Gracechurch Street Nominees Limited                 701,227
BT Globenet Nominees Limited                           179,700
Other Names                                            12,231,364
Total                                                  57,385,816


11th October 2001