Original: The district was formed on 1 April 1974 , under the Local Government Act 1972 , from the Municipal Borough of Abingdon , Wantage Urban District , Abingdon Rural District , Faringdon Rural District and part of the Wantage Rural District of Berkshire .
Simplified: According to the geographical definition , however , the Vale is from two to five miles wide , and the distance by road from Abingdon to Shrivenham at its head is 18 miles .