OneGuyFromBarlick

close , not lift shaft so far as i am informed (indeed the station it is at didnt have lifts) but a bit more reasoning on the materials used and when installed. I assume too there are at least two , possible four of these.

Part of anti flood doors for tunnels under the Thames? Installed in case of a bomb hit during WW2?

Dumb waiter?

It is described as part of the door mechanism indeed. It is strange as most of the anti-flood doors at tunnel ends are rather substantial steel ones and I would have guessed dumb waiter too ! also this was claimed on the caption to be the NORTH End of the SOUTHBOUND Northern Line tunnel at Charing Cross Station (Now called Embankment Station) . Which is sort of the wrong end if one thinks the thames will get hit unless the plan was to sacrifice the tube station. Unless - and it didnt make it clear - there is another lost London river running down/under Villers Street - which is likely given the Thameside was just about up to Strand prior to the Embankment Closing OR the station is somewhat more under the the thames than one might think - also the embankment (Victoria) carries a pair (one?) Sewers along it too with the District Line getting its route for near free just over the top of them.

However while you might think the answer is money for old rope can you inform me of the final detail of the image and why that particular material was chosen

Does it swell when it gets wet?