Hard ground where Santa might land (6)

I believe the answer is:

hearth

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'where santa might land' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I cannot understand how they can define each other.

'hard ground' is the wordplay.
'hard' becomes 'h' (abbreviation used in pencil classifications).
'ground' becomes 'earth' (synonyms).
'h'+'earth'='HEARTH'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for hearth that I've seen before include "Area around the fire" , "Novel" , "fireside feature" , "home circle" , "cosy setting" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.