Footpath around area — very hard work (7)
I believe the answer is:
travail
'hard work' is the definition.
(travail can mean hard work or effort)
'footpath around area very' is the wordplay.
'footpath' becomes 'trail' (I've seen this before).
'around' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'area' becomes 'a' (maths abbreviation).
'very' becomes 'v' (abbreviation).
'a'+'v'='av'
'trail' enclosing 'av' is 'TRAVAIL'.
(Other definitions for travail that I've seen before include "Painful labour" , "Toil - anguish" , "Old word for pangs of childbirth" , "Painful or laborious effort, like childbirth" , "Labour, toil" .)