Exhibit 23.3


                      CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration  Statement
(Form  S-8  No.   33-52125)   pertaining  to  the  Ashland  Inc.   Deferred
Compensation  and Stock Incentive Plan for Non-Employee  Directors,  in the
Registration  Statement  (Form S-8 No.  2-95022)  pertaining to the Ashland
Inc.  Amended Stock Incentive Plan for Key Employees,  in the  Registration
Statement  (Form S-8 No. 33-7501)  pertaining to the Ashland Inc.  Employee
Savings  Plan,  in the  Registration  Statement  (Form  S-8  No.  33-26101)
pertaining  to  the  Ashland  Inc.   Long-Term   Incentive   Plan,  in  the
Registration  Statement (Form S-8 No.  33-55922)  pertaining to the Ashland
Inc. 1993 Stock Incentive Plan, in the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No.
33-49907) pertaining to the Ashland Inc. Leveraged Employee Stock Ownership
Plan, in the Registration  Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-62901)  pertaining to
the Ashland Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan, in the Registration  Statement
(Form  S-8  No.  333-33617)  pertaining  to the  Ashland  Inc.  1997  Stock
Incentive  Plan, in the  Registration  Statement  (Form S-3 No.  333-78675)
pertaining  to the  registration  of 68,925  shares of Ashland Inc.  Common
Stock,  and  in  the  Registration   Statement  (Form  S-3  No.  333-70657)
pertaining to $600,000,000 of Debt Securities,  Preferred Stock, Depository
Shares,  Common Stock and/or  Warrants of Ashland Inc., of our report dated
January 21, 2000, with respect to the consolidated  financial statements of
Arch Coal, Inc. as of December 31, 1999 and 1998, and for each of the three
years in the period ended December 31, 1999,  included in the Annual Report
on Form 10-K (as amended by Form  10-K/A,  Amendment  No.1) of Ashland Inc.
for the year ended September 30, 1999.

Our audits of the consolidated  financial  statements of Arch Coal, Inc. as
of  December  31,  1999 and 1998,  and for each of the  three  years in the
period ended December 31, 1999, also included the Arch Coal, Inc. financial
statement  schedule  included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K (as amended
by Form  10-K/A,  Amendment  No.  1) of  Ashland  Inc.  for the year  ended
September  30,  1999.  This  schedule is the  responsibility  of Arch Coal,
Inc.'s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion based on our
audits. In our opinion,  the financial statement schedule,  when considered
in relation to the Arch Coal,  Inc. basic financial  statements  taken as a
whole,  presents fairly in all material  respects the information set forth
therein.



                                        /s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Louisville, Kentucky
March  14, 2000