The bishop at the time, Andrew Webster, invited the rough sleeper to use his garage at the Cathedral Close, so he would have somewhere warm and dry for the night.

And decades on, city folk will be remembering this charitable gesture by swapping their mattresses for the Cathedral’s stone floor to take part in 'A Night in the Cloister’.

The sleep out at Norwich Cathedral in 2024 (Image: St Martins)

Nearly 50 people have signed up to the St Martins event, open to anyone over the age of 18, which challenges people to sleep at the landmark on January 30 from 7.30pm to 6.30am.

Dr Jan Sheldon, St Martins........

© Norwich Evening News