Crossword Genius

Hard place to find in North Wales (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

flint

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

'hard place' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't understand how one could define the other.

'in north wales' is the wordplay.
I cannot quite see how this works, but
'in' is present in the answer.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'to find' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for flint that I've seen before include "Rock occurring in chalk" , "castle in Wales" , "Hard kind of stone -- Welsh town on the Dee estuary" , "It may spark something off!" , "Cruel pirate" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app