Statement re Possible Offer

Persimmon PLC
19 January 2001


 (Not for release, publication or distribution in or into the United States of
                     America, Canada, Australia or Japan)
                                       

Persimmon plc ('Persimmon')

Possible offer for Beazer Group Plc ('Beazer')

The Board of Persimmon announces that it has submitted a proposal to the Board
of  Beazer  indicating  that  it is considering  making  an  offer  to  Beazer
shareholders of 92.5p in cash and 0.349 new Persimmon ordinary shares for each
Beazer share.  A mix and match election would also be made available.

On  the  basis  of  the  closing price of Persimmon ordinary  shares  on  18th
January, 2001 the offer, if made, would value each Beazer share at 184.8p  and
the  current issued share capital of Beazer at approximately £528  million  of
which £264 million would be satisfied in cash.  This would represent a premium
of  13.0 per cent to the closing value of Beazer shares on 10th January, 2001,
the  day  prior  to the announcement by Taylor Woodrow plc ('Taylor  Woodrow')
that  it had approached the Board of Bryant Group plc ('Bryant') and a premium
of 40.6 per cent to the closing value of Beazer Shares on 13th December, 2000,
the day prior to the announcement of Beazer's merger with Bryant.

The pre-condition to the making of an offer is that the merger offer by Bryant
for  Beazer  announced  on  14th  December 2000  is  not  approved  by  Bryant
shareholders, or does not otherwise lapse.  This pre-condition can  be  waived
at the discretion of Persimmon.

Duncan Davidson, Chairman of Persimmon said: 'The offer that has been proposed
would provide Beazer's shareholders with a significant premium to the value of
the  Bryant  offer before Taylor Woodrow declared that it had  approached  the
Board  of  Bryant.  It would also contain an initial cash element of almost  6
times  that offered by Bryant and provide the opportunity to be part  of  what
would  be  the  UK's leading housebuilder and benefit from Persimmon's  proven
record for integrating acquisitions and delivering value to shareholders.'

The  Board of Persimmon believes that the combination of the two companies has
a  compelling strategic and geographical fit and will create the leading force
in UK housebuilding.


Key Strategic and Financial Benefits

-    On  a  pro forma basis for the twelve months to 30th June 2000,
     the   enlarged   Persimmon  group  would   have   turnover   of
     approximately  £1.6  billion  and  operating  profit  of   £209
     million.
-    The geographic spread of the enlarged Persimmon group would  be
     well balanced. Persimmon would gain entry into the new regional
     markets  of  the West Midlands, Essex and Cumbria complementing
     Persimmon's  geographic strengths in Scotland,  the  North  and
     Yorkshire, the Midlands, the South East, the South West and  in
     South Wales.
-    Persimmon expects to be able to achieve pre-tax synergies of at
     least  £20  million  per  annum by  the  end  of  2001.   These
     significant  synergies would arise from office rationalisations
     and  other  identified  cost-savings.   The  one-off  costs  of
     achieving  these synergy benefits are estimated to  be  in  the
     region of £12 million.
-    In  addition  to  these synergies, benefits  would  arise  from
     maximising sales revenue and the enhanced purchasing  power  of
     the enlarged Persimmon group.
-    Persimmon intends to expand the Charles Church brand  to  1,000
     units a year by 2002.
-    Including  the  Charles Church business, Persimmon  intends  to
     rationalise  the Beazer portfolio to create an  enlarged  group
     with  between 13,000 to 14,000 units a year distributed between
     Persimmon's North and South divisions.
-    The  enlarged  Persimmon group would control the  largest  land
     bank  in  the  UK  housebuilding industry,  with  approximately
     58,000  plots  and a strategic land portfolio  of  over  19,000
     acres.   In  the  first year following the  completion  of  the
     transaction  Persimmon would manage the landbank appropriately,
     to  release cash of £175 million in order to reduce the debt of
     the enlarged group.
-    The  transaction would be significantly earnings  enhancing  in
     the first year before synergy benefits.*
-    The   enlarged  Persimmon  group  would  continue   Persimmon's
     strategy  of  focusing  on improving  margins  and  return  on
     capital employed.

There can be no certainty that an offer will be made even if the pre-condition
is  met.   Persimmon will make a further announcement no later than Wednesday,
24th January, 2001.


Enquiries:

John White (Chief         Persimmon plc                 01904 642199
Executive)
Edward Orlebar            Finsbury                     020 7251 3801
Faeth Finnemore

ABN  AMRO Corporate Finance Limited, which is regulated in the United  Kingdom
by  The Securities and Futures Authority Limited, is acting for Persimmon  and
no-one  else in connection with the matters described herein and will  not  be
responsible  to  anyone  other than Persimmon for  providing  the  protections
afforded  to  customers of ABN AMRO Corporate Finance Limited nor  for  giving
advice in relation thereto.

ABN   AMRO  Corporate  Finance  Limited  has  authorised  the  issue  of  this
announcement  solely for the purposes of section 57 of the Financial  Services
Act 1986.

This  announcement does not constitute an offer or an invitation  to  purchase
any securities.

*Any  statements made regarding earnings enhancement should not be interpreted
to  mean  that the earnings per share for any period following any offer  will
necessarily be greater than those for the relevant preceding financial period.