An analytical solution of the fully coupled system of equations governing the plane strain deformation of a poroelastic medium with anisotropic permeability and compressible fluid and solid constituents is obtained. This solution is used to study the consolidation of a poroelastic clay layer with free permeable surface resting on a rough-rigid permeable or impermeable base. The stresses and the pore pressure are taken as the basic state variables. Displacements are obtained by integrating the coupled constitutive relations. The case of normal surface loading is discussed in detail. The solution is obtained in the Laplace-Fourier domain. Two integrations are required to obtain the solution in the space-time domain which are evaluated numerically for normal strip loading. Consolidation of the clay layer and diffusion of pore pressure is studied for both the bases. It is found that the time settlement is accelerated by the permeability of the base. Initially, the pore pressure is not affected by the permeability of the base, but has a significant effect, as we move towards the bottom of the layer. Also, anisotropy in permeability and compressibilities of constituents of the poroelastic medium have a significant effect on the consolidation of the clay layer.