Apparently there's just about 400 students in a compulsory module, so a first year module for example, Principles of Economics, that'll be students from straight Economics, as well as the other related ones in the department (Mathematical Economics and Statistics, Money Banking and Finance) as well as joint honours (Geography and Economics etc). The website says that there's 198 places available for all economics modules for September 2013 start, which makes sense that they're reducing the numbers given funding cuts. Despite that amount, there never seems to be that many students in lectures.
Seminars have at most 20 students, but at least in the ones I go to there is much less, as they have to make a fair few available due to the possibility of clashes with other modules and classes.
While academically, the economics department is in the business school, it's not physically, although I heard it was due to move in there in a couple of years. It's not situated away from campus at all, so is never a hassle, although we don't have to go there that often, as lectures aren't in the department and get spread out across campus. Most of our lectures are in the same lecture hall due to the size, with a couple of the smaller optional modules elsewhere. We've had a few seminars in the economics department, but again, they're generally elsewhere on campus.
You'd go to the department to submit assessed work, as well as speak to your tutor, or lecturers, in their office hours if you have any problems.
As a building, the department isn't nice at all, so I guess it's good that we don't have to go there that often, as well as the fact that it should eventually be moving!
The lecturers are overall quite good, although some have different teaching styles that not everyone takes to. I know a few people who dislike a particular lecturer, so made sure they chose modules that they weren't teaching.
They're certainly all passionate about their subjects, but for example, I didn't take to the economic history module's lecturer in the first year, as it wasn't something that interested me.
It's also hit or miss whether the lecturer will also be your class teacher, or whether it will someone assisting on the module - for the larger modules it's obviously unlikely.
They make themselves available every week during specific office hours for you to come and discuss anything you're not understanding, and the class teachers can help with that also.
As for general work, for the 6 modules we have for each semester, there are 2 hours for lectures a week, and then at least 1 hour of seminar every 2 weeks, if not every week in a couple of cases. So on average, about 15 contact hours a week, which I feel is about right for the course. As well as doing work for the classes beforehand, you're expected to generally be working on notes and background reading for each module.
In the first year you're more constrained when it comes to choosing modules, as you only get to choose 1 optional module for each semester. This increases in both 2nd and 3rd year so if you don't like the mathematical analysis so much, you can choose modules that rely on that less. There's a list of all the different modules
here.
If you want me to clarify anything, or you have any other questions, do ask!